I just had prolo in L5-S1 and L4 for spondy and degernative disks. Boy did they hurt. Felt like the Dr. hit a nerve when he did the injections. It has been 10 days now and I still have pain in lower back. I also had some injections in SJ which have seemed to help. I have had a lot of muscle spasms. My Dr. just palpitated the area when he did the injections. All in all I had 30 injections. I am reluctent to going back as I am afaid of damaging my disks. Has anyone had luck with prolo in disks? And did they hurt a lot when the Dr. gave the injectionsthere? Thanks a bunch. After a year of back pain, I just want some relief. I am not a candidate for surgery the orthopedic surgean said. Probably because I am only at level 1 spondy. I've always been a very physical person, excerising, lifting weights. Now I can't do 3/4 of the exercise I use to.

Hi, sorry you are having so much pain. I have not heard of this treatment before so I had to google it and read. what an interesting treatment plan, from what I read they inject sugar water into the ligaments? I have back issues as well and fibromyalgia so it perked my interest.

Did the Dr. recommend you apply ice or heat to help with your pain? Maybe you could google as well and do some further reading to find out more info until you can talk to or see the Dr. Maybe not enough time has gone by for the pain to settle. 30 injections seems like a lot but like I said I'd google some to read up just to do some comparing. Good luck to you and hope your pain lets up soon and you can start working out in the near future.

As long as its ok with your Dr. I'd recommend walking to begin with. Its what I've done in the past after my procedures. It really helps strengthen the glutes and helps lower scare tissue.

Thanks for your reply. I have been walking all along but my hip and back seem to hurt more now since the prolotherapy. I'm not looking forward to my second round next week. I thought if it worked it shouldn't hurt but it does. I'll have to ask my Dr. and see what he thinks. He is a DO in sport's medicine.

Well, I just had 2nd round of prolo. The injections were not too bad but they did hurt near the disk areas. What I am wondering is: How long after the injections are you suppose to hurt. I have muscle spasms and stiffness and sharp shooting pains. My Dr. said everyone is different. I have another treatment in 1 month and the Dr. said I need 7 to 11 treatments. My concern is that I have pain after the injections and then I have to go in for other treatments. Seems like having pain all the time is not the answer. This is why I wondered if anyone else has gone through this. I hate to pay a lot of money for a procedure that doesn't work. Any replys are appreaciated.

I have had great success with Prolotherapy! Thus far, it has enabled me to avoid surgery. I have had about 8 sessions over about 2 1/2 years. My DO finds the right place to inject by using Kineseology (muscle testing).

Yes, you do have pain/discomfort afterward. Mine usually lasts about 2 to 3 weeks but diminishing as it goes along and nothing horrible, more like discomfort. This is actually part of the healing process. I'm sure you know that anti-inflammatories should not be taken while doing prolo as the part of what is going on with prolo is that the substance injected is supposed to cause inflamation in the area first. If you take anti inflammatories you would be interfering with this healing process. Tylenol is ok.

I have posted here a number of times about Prolo as I think it would greatly help many people with back, knee, shoulder, etc. issues. I would do research first to find someone who has been practicing it for awhile. My insurance paid for part of the cost as out-of-network pain management, but even if they hadn't it would have been well worth the expense to avoid surgery ... for me!

Mushroom2 and Jenj770, are you sure you are getting the same type of prolo? Jen, it sounds like you're getting it in soft tissues around the spine -- but mushroom2, you say he's putting the needles directly INTO the discs??

So (M), when you say you got 30 injections in all, you're saying 30 injections of prolo into the discs, not around the discs??

It has been 8 days since I received prolo in my facet joints, ligaments and lower disks. The injections were not in my disks but at the side. Since the prolo I have had intense pain, numbness in foot, headaches, and muscle spasms in legs. If anybody else has had this done, does it hurt this much for 8 or 9 days? The pain meds I take don't agree with me. It just seems like I should be feeling better by now. My lower back is so stiff I can hardly move. I am suppose to get another round of prolo in February = a month since the last session. I'm leaning towards not getting it. I didn't realize it would be so painful. I can't even exercise or walk without a back support. Any input about pain from prolo would be very appreciated, pain, length of pain, and does it work? Thank you so much.

As I have previously posted, Yes, there is pain during and after the injections, but it shouldn't be completely debilitating. I do have to take it easy for days (sometimes weeks) afterward and the discomfort can last up to 2 or 3 weeks. This is why they say to leave 2 to 6 weeks between treatments so that you will have an accurate assessment of how the injections work after the pain subsides.I know it is easy to get anxious and worry when you are in pain after a treatment, but I can tell you that [I]eventually[/I] I am always [I]much[/I] improved from how I was prior to the injection, but ... sometimes I could barely walk out of the office after a treatment. I have since learned this may be part of the process as the weakened ligaments and such are responding to the inflammation and strengthening.

Prior to starting prolo I was using a cane and wearing a back brace. I couldn't walk more than 1/2 block without extreme pain. Sitting was excrutiating because of the pressure on my spine. After the third session I was no longer using the back brace, the cane only occasionally. After the 5th session I was walking 10 blocks without any discomfort (I live in NYC, so walking is necessary!). I've had 3 more sessions since but very far apart and only to further tweak some area.

Are you satisfied with your doctor and his qualifications to do Prolo? I know some docs are starting to "get on the bandwagon". They may be qualified through a training course but not yet have much actual experience. I don't think I would want to see someone who is just "starting out". I would definitely ask how long they have been using Prolo in their practice, what method they use to determine the injection sites and possibly permission to contact other patients. I had a glowing referral for my doc from someone who had actually tried all the prolo docs in and around our area. You could also do some research yourself as there is a lot of information available "out there" on specific practitioners ... in all fields.

Thanks so much for your experience with prolo. I don't know anybody who has had it so it is very relieving to hear from someone who has. I find that most of my pain from the prolo is in my lower back. Most likely from the facet and soft tissue injections. I know the injections next to my disks L5 L4 really hurt. I have 2 weeks to go until my next visit. So far I don't feel any relief and my muscles are so tight I have to stretch all the time. When I exercise, my muscles even get tighter, especially the next day. Muscle relaxers do not help much. I am yet to find a pain med that helps. I am allergic to codeine. Did you find that your lower back is very sore and it is difficult to bend backwards? I am so happy for you that the prolo helped you and took you out of your pain. Spine pain is so different than most pain. It is like it affects the whole body, neck, headaches, etc. I even find my knee going out when I walk and I know that is probably because of the tight muscles. This isn't any fun is it? We need to think positive thoughts and hope things will get better. After I get my next round of prolo, I will post how I feel. Hopefully, much better in time. I am not looking forward to those 20 some injections though!

Mushroom, I am also allergic to coedine but I can take Vicodin. I found it helpful to not only use it if there was pain in the following days of the session but also to take a very low dose the day of the injection. I would cut one in half - 250 to 300 mg.

The pain you're describing seems to be much more than I experienced, even though I've had up to 6 injection sites at a session. Again, just like in anything, there are prolotherapists and there are prolotherapists. I have talked to people who say they have enormous bruises from the injections and others, like you, who complain of great pain afterward. I have not experienced either.

I wish you well with this and hope you eventually find relief of your symptoms.

I will ask my Dr. about Vicodin. I just thought it would be the same as hydrocodone. When you say 6 injection sites, do you mean shots or areas? I had at least 25 injections on my last visit. The shots have helped my ligaments but so far my lower disk area is still painful. I'm thinking that since I have arthritis in these disks the inflamation is most likely irritating them and making the pain worse. It has been 15 days since my last visit. You said you had 8-1/2 sessions in 2-1/2 years. Does this mean you had injections every 3 months? Mine are every month. I know have a problem with my right knee giving out. Never had this problem before. I probably need an adjustment as one leg is longer than the other. I'm so glad that you are doing so well. Thanks for all the information you have given me.

Maybe you are having sessions too close together. I know of one Prolo doc who will not give injections until 8 weeks have passed. My doc says 2 to 6 weeks but this depends on how I feel. If I'm doing well I wait, sometimes [I]much[/I] longer and he supports this. The reason why you don't want to rush the sessions is because the inflammatory and strengthening process is still taking place weeks afterward so you will not actually know how you feel unless you allow time for that to occur.

As I said before, my doc uses kineseology to find the relevant areas that need injecting. This eliminates the need to do a lot of injections and lets him concentrate on just what the muscle testing is telling him.

It amazes me when you said you had little pain after your injections. Have you ever had injections for your facet joints and L5-S1? I found those to be very painful. The injections I got in the tissue beside my disks never did feel better. I had pain all the way through. It has been 1 month now and I see my Dr. next week for another session. Right now, I am in a lot of pain in my hip joint and lower back. I assumed after the injections, one would feel better. Apparently, my back problem is different.
I have trouble walking and my knee keeps slipping out when I walk. This is a new symptom that I never had before. It is probably because my skeleton system is out of place, where ever that place is suppose to be! A little humour there. It would most likely help if I would get an adjustment. You are so fortunate that the prolo worked for you. Your condition was even worse than mine in the beginning. Good luck with your future therapies.

[QUOTE=mushroom2;4173173]It amazes me when you said you had little pain after your injections. Have you ever had injections for your facet joints and L5-S1? I found those to be very painful. The injections I got in the tissue beside my disks never did feel better. I had pain all the way through. It has been 1 month now and I see my Dr. next week for another session. Right now, I am in a lot of pain in my hip joint and lower back. I assumed after the injections, one would feel better. Apparently, my back problem is different.
I have trouble walking and my knee keeps slipping out when I walk. This is a new symptom that I never had before. It is probably because my skeleton system is out of place, where ever that place is suppose to be! A little humour there. It would most likely help if I would get an adjustment. You are so fortunate that the prolo worked for you. Your condition was even worse than mine in the beginning. Good luck with your future therapies.[/QUOTE]

mushroom, how have the prolotherapy been progressing for you? Have you had a MRI done yet? What symptoms were you having before prolotherapy?